


remembrance of things past

by fanficsandthings



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Warren Worthington III Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29707569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficsandthings/pseuds/fanficsandthings
Summary: you left the x-mansion, and by proxy warren, a long time ago, but the x-men are down a few players, and mankind needs saving again.  *alternative apocalypse au*
Relationships: Warren Worthington III & Reader, Warren Worthington III/Reader, Warren Worthington III/You
Kudos: 3





	1. high school reunion

**Author's Note:**

> THIISSSS one is kinda shitty :p

“God Warren, not this shit again,” you sighed tiredly, dropping your tactical bag at your feet.

You had just come back from a mission, and Warren was reeling drunk in your shared room yet again.

“Fuck off,” he responded, slurring his words. He had his shirt off, examining the scars where his wings used to be.

“Look War,” you started angrily. “This is getting out of hand. All you fucking do is stay in our room and get wasted and I’m fucking tired of it.”

“Fuck. Off.”

“It’s been a year. Go the fuck outside. Go meet with the Professor. Do _something_ ,” you breathed.

Warren was pacing back and forth in front of you, a half empty vodka bottle in his hand.

“Are you fucking listening to me?” you said loudly.

“Oh, bite me y/n. I’m tired of you telling me to get off my ass,” Warren slurred.

“Look War, a shitty thing happened to you. I’m sorry you lost your wings, and I’m sorry that I can’t do anything about it. If I could do something you know-” you reached your hand out, but Warren recoiled. 

You inhaled shakily. It’s been a year. A year of coming home to him drunk, a year of letting him use you as a punching bag, a year of watching him turn into something other than the man you loved. 

“Warren-”

Warren looked over his shoulder. “I don’t need this,” he spat. 

You looked upwards, trying to stop tears from welling up in your eyes. You silently picked up your bag from the ground. “Neither do I,” you said quietly. 

-

That was five years ago, and you hadn’t been back to the X-Mansion or with the X-Men since. You just packed up everything and left without looking back. Until now. Storm had dragged you back to the team a few days ago. A new X-Men level threat, a super old mutant called Apocalypse, had emerged. He was set on killing the entire human race. He had some sort of anti-human manifesto, and he was way too powerful and way too crazy for just a few mutants to go up against.

Warren was working with Apocalypse. Or kidnapped by Apocalypse. Or- you weren’t really sure. Either way, you had some sort of personal stake in this fight.

Before getting on the Blackbird, you tested your ice powers a few times just to make sure they still worked. When you left the X-Men you tried to distance yourself from that world as much as possible. You got a regular(ish) job and moved as far you though you could go.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Storm said quietly in your ear.

The Blackbird lifted off the ground with a quiet humming sound. Hank was in the cockpit, and Scott, Kurt, and Peter were in the hangar with you and Storm.

“It’s a little late to drop out now, isn’t it?” you responded, masking your fear with a grin. “If you should worry about anyone, you should worry about Summers,” you joked, pulling at the sleeves of your mission suit.

Scott glared at you. Or at least you think he glared at you. It’s kind of hard to tell what direction he’s looking with those glasses.

 _Jean is totally gone, while Warren is just kind of gone_ , you reminded yourself.

You shook your head, prying yourself away from your thoughts. The Warren thing was a little too complicated anyways. “Are you sure we shouldn’t call the Professor?”

“I already tried,” Storm responded. 

Xavier, the once guiding teacher, had left the X-Mansion after the events of the Dark Phoenix, leaving the school in the hands of Hank and some of the original team members. Like Scott, he never fully recovered from Jean’s death. He felt as if he had failed her, as well as the rest of the team. Storm theorized that he was in Genosha, but no one was really sure.

“Cruising altitude,” Hank called from the cockpit.

Scott unbuckled his seat beat and sprung up. “Okay, did any of you read the mission briefing I sent you?” He was taking this whole mission leader thing pretty seriously. 

You and Storm exchanged glances.

“That’s what I thought,” Scott snarked. He pulled up a couple of images on the Blackbird’s console. “Apocalypse. Ancient mutant with ancient powers. Don’t engage alone, we can’t hurt him.”

“How are we supposed to-“

“Well if you had read the mission briefing,” Scott interrupted loudly. “You would know that we don’t have to harm him. We just have to seal him away for the next millennia.”

You rolled your eyes.

Kurt raised his three-fingered, blue hand. “What about the other mutants?”

Scott nodded, and pulled up four more images on the screen.

“Apocalypse calls them the four horsemen,” Scott started. “First we have Gambit, a mutant who can transfer telekinetic energy to anything he touches.” He pulled up an image of a brown haired mutant. He had black eyes with piercing red pupils.

You rolled your eyes again. _Just say he can make things explode, Scott._

“Psylocke. She’s armed with blades made of kinetic energy, and she’s also psychic.” A girl with purple hair appeared on the screen. “Polaris, she can manipulate the electro magnetic spectrum.” A girl with green hair.

“So bombs, swords, and sparks?” Peter clarified.

“Right.” Scott glanced over at you. “And Warren. Now with completely techno-organic wings.”

You started to zone out as Scott went over the mission plan. Your looked over Warren’s picture uneasily. It was the same profile picture he had used back when he was on the X-Men. His wings were still feathery and white, and he had a carefree, genuine smile on his face. You were even in the edge of the frame. It was taken long before your relationship turned to shit.

You could almost hear Warren’s soft, carefree laugh and his gentle voice.

_“This is serious stuff, hon, these pictures get attached to our files like forever!”_

In the end, he just pulled you close and let Hank take the picture. Those were the days you thought you would be together forever anyways.

You looked at your feet. You kept a framed copy of that picture on your nightstand, it was the only thing you left behind. You hated thinking about the night you left; you left without even saying goodbye. But then again, there was a lot of water underneath that bridge.

“-And y/n, you’ll be on perimeter. Any questions?” Scott finished.

 _Shit, I missed the whole game plan, but still-_ “Perimeter?!” you protested. “Why? Wasn’t the whole place evacuated days ago?”

“Yes, but-“

You held your arms out in protest. “Is this about Warren? I’m _fine_. It’s been a long time-“

“You didn’t leave things friendly between you two,” Scott countered.

“Oh, you wanna get personal?” you snapped. “I’m not the only one who-“

“Y/n!” Hank interrupted. “Enough.”

Scott sighed deeply. “Y/n, everyone here knows way more about your relationship with Warren than we care to. We all know you probably have some mixed feelings, and everyone should be prepared.”

_Prepared to take him down, if we need to._

You folded your arms over your chest and slouched in your seat. Scott hadn’t been the same since Jean died. Something happened with her powers, and she developed an alternative ego. The Dark Phoenix. She became too powerful, and ultimately destroyed herself to stop her from hurting other people.

Anyways, if anything, Scott wasn’t fit to lead. Just because you and Warren had split up didn’t mean you’d let your emotions interfere with the mission. Probably. 

“So Warren has full use of his wings?” Peter asked.

“According to our scans, they’re not his original wings. They’re new wings made up of synthetic material that acts organic. Apocalypse made them,” said Scott. “But yes, fully functional.”

Peter shrugged. He really didn’t care about all the science. As usual, he was looking for the quick answer. “Oh, well good for Warren. Unless he’s like, using them to fight against us.”

Warren had lost his feathery wings a year before you split up. It was a stupid mission, and you had the stupid flu so you weren’t there.

It was a new group of mutant supervillains. At least, they were a new group at the time. They were killing mutants in New York, so naturally the X-Men checked out the situation.

The X-Men didn’t know what they were going up against. The mutant villains were prepared. Almost all of the X-Men came home carrying some sort of injury. But Warren had it the worst.

His wings were completely torn up. Slashed in every brutal way. He was kept in a medically induced coma for three days, and kept in the ICU for a week. Something about slowing brain swelling caused by a skull fracture.

On the third day, when he was still being kept in a coma, the doctors told you that his wings were gangrene, which you later learned was lack of blood flow that lead to tissue death. They had to be amputated.

You sat with Warren day in and day out. You knew he would be devastated without his wings, and he was. And there was nothing you could do for him.

Suddenly, a hand waved in front of your face. “Y/n? Are you done with your flashbacks?”

You grabbed Peter’s wrist. “Very funny.”

“I know you weren’t listening, so let me break it down for ya. Kurt’s on the sword chick, Storm is on electric girl cause they basically have the same power, and then I’m on the explosive guy and Warren,” Peter rambled. “Hank and Scott are gonna try to contain Apocalypse and etcetera. But hey, if you want you can have the bomb boy and I’ll take Warren. Promise not to hurt him.”

You blinked, trying to take in all the information Peter had just spewed at you. “Thanks Peter.”

“Hank is gonna trying to set up this thing that amplifies Scott’s powers so they can blast Apocalypse away but anyways how often do things actually go to plan? Hank mentioned anomalies in the space time continuum this morning so my money’s on interdimensional travel.”

Hank came by and gave you an earpiece as Peter continued talking. It felt a little weird, using an earpiece. In the past, Jean had just linked everyone telepathically.

“Testing,” Hank said into the comms. They worked, they were just kind of annoying.

“Hey, y/n?” Storm tapped your shoulder.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

Storm shrugged. “Are you okay? With Warren and everything?”

You looked at her for a second. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Thanks.”

“Well if you need to talk.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Talking about serious things, especially your feelings, was never your strong suit.

To be honest, you didn’t really know how you felt about all this stuff with Warren. You heard that he left the X-Mansion a few years ago, but you figured he was going to live with his parents or maybe travel a little, not make pacts with supervillains. A part of you still loved him. You knew a part of you would always still love him. But you were still angry about the way he treated you. More hurt than angry actually.

Storm studied your face. “Y/n, you know him losing his wings wasn’t about you, right?”

You blinked. “What?”

“It wasn’t about you. It was about him.” Storm continued.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Okay can you skip to the part where you tell me what that means?”

“It means he lost his wings and you made it about how he was treating you, but it was about everything he had lost.” Storm was always the advocate. She saw things from everyone’s point of view. Sometimes it was annoying.

You sighed. “You think I jumped the gun?”

Storm shook her head. “I’m not saying you were right or wrong. I’m just… saying.”

“He was treating me like shit.”

“I know,” agreed Storm calmly. “I know. But nothing’s easy. You had love, and then you just… didn’t.”

“Landing in 5,” Hank announced loudly.

You looked out the window. Cairo, Egypt, at the great Pyramids.

“There-“ pointed out Scott.

You looked to where he was pointing. “Yup, that’s a pyramid alright. Good job, Scott.”

“No, _there_ ,” said Scott. “The mutant Psylocke.”

Sure enough, the purple-haired mutant was standing guard on top of one of the pyramids.

“Okay everyone, get ready,” Scott announced. “We’re moving out.”

“Y/n, just tell me this,” Storm murmured. “Are you still in love with him?”

You sighed deeply. “I don’t know.”

“Well,” said Storm. “You should probably figure it out before we go.”

-


	2. damn psychics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the four horsemen can FIGHT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: fighting, stabby stab

The courtyard of the X-Mansion. A glorified grassy field with some fancy bushes. It was still a nice place to spend time, when it wasn’t being used for training exercises.

“Y/n?” Warren asked, the back of his hand brushing against yours.

You paused and looked up at him. You studied his face, his once soft features now clouded by scars and contempt. His wings behind him, now made up of a metal-like feathers.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly. His eyes were still the same gentle, piercing blue that you remembered from so long ago.

“I have to do something, War, and you gotta bear with me, alright?” you started.

“Yeah honey?”

You flinched a little at the old nickname. “I have to… apologize.”

Warren laughed softly. “Well that would be a first.”

“Stop it War, I’m serious!” you responded, elbowing him in the ribs. “This is a thing I’m trying to work on!”

“Okay, okay,” he grinned.

“I’m sorry…”

_Wait. This isn’t real._

You snapped out of the mental picture, looking up and realizing you were still in Cairo on the pyramids and still fighting the mutant Gambit.

“Which one of these motherfuckers is psychic!” you yelled into your comms.

“Mine, sorry!” Kurt responded. “I’m working on it!”

 _Fucking psychics…_ you thought to yourself as you formed an ice wall in front of you.

Gambit quickly threw a charged card at the wall, and it exploded on impact, crumbling the wall to the ground.

Gambit’s whole thing was playing cards. For him, it was like carrying around 52 pocket sized grenades. He lit another card and threw it in your direction. You quickly covered it in ice, which muffled the explosion.

You had been to Cairo once before, back when you were working with the X-Men. The team swooped in and saved the day, but the citizens still booed as the Blackbird left the city. When you asked Xavier why, he told you that people hated those who made them feel inferior.

Somehow, Xavier always knew what to say and what to do. And you really didn’t. It’s been a while since you’ve fought anyone, and you could really use some guidance.

“Peter, how are you doing?” you asked as you covered Gambit’s boots with ice, trapping him to the ground.

“It’s going!” Peter exclaimed. Peter was with Warren on the other side of the pyramid. You hadn’t caught a glimpse of the winged mutant yet, and you weren’t sure you wanted to.

“And we’re doing fine, in case you were wondering,” Scott whispered into his earpiece. Both Scott and Hank were trying to set up a device that would amplify Scott’s powers and push Apocalypse into a trap for the next thousand years.

Apocalypse was inside the pyramid, plotting to kill mankind or something like that. He posted his four horsemen outside to protect him, one on each side.

Standing from halfway up the pyramid, you quickly used your powers to trap Gambit in a dome of ice.

“I could use some backup!” Storm called out.

“Give me a second.” The ice dome suddenly glowed a soft pink as Gambit used his powers to charge it. With a loud bang, it exploded, sending shards of ice in every direction and leaving a large dent in the ground.

You dropped down from your vantage point and quickly hit Gambit across the head with an ice-covered fist, knocking him out cold. “Storm, location?”

“East side!”

You looked over to the right side of the pyramid, where dark storm clouds were forming. As a you ran over to the left side, you felt the wind pick up. In the distance, Storm was grappling with the green-haired, electricity-controlling mutant midair.

“Shit.” You lifted yourself off the ground, using your ice powers to create a pathway upwards. You quickly dodged a stray bolt of electricity as you continued to climb. You quickly realized you didn’t have a clear shot as you watched Storm and Polaris fight. “Stop moving!” you called out.

“That’s kind of tough!” Storm responded loudly.

Both Polaris and Storm let off blasts of electricity, that went in every direction. One hit you in the chest with a loud _crack_ sound and you collided with the stone of the pyramid.

“Ouch.”

“You alright, y/n?” Storm called out.

“Yup,” you responded with a groan, examining the front of your charred mission suit. “Ten out ten. Never been better.” You pushed yourself off the ground as both Storm and Polaris landed on the top of the pyramid.

“Guys!” you heard Peter yell over the comms. “Warren’s on the move!”

Suddenly, a winged figure cut through the dark clouds and collided with Storm midair.

You froze in your tracks. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Your blood ran cold at the sight of Warren, falling to the ground. His wings were metal and intimidating, contrasting his former white and soft wings. 

_Why is he doing this?_

Peter quickly whizzed by you and tackled Polaris to the ground in a split second.

 _Shit, stop standing around and do something,_ you told yourself, trying to steady your breathing. “Kurt, status?”

“I’m done, on the way to help Hank and Scott,” Kurt responded.

“Kurt, move to the east side of the pyramid, I’ll help Scott and Hank,” you countered, already running towards the bottom of the pyramid.

“No, we need Kurt,” Hank said quietly into his comms. “Situation is a little more complicated than we thought. The Professor is here.”

“What?!”

“Some sort of weird body swap scheme. We can’t just blast the place now, we need to get the Professor out first,” Scott responded.

“Fuck, okay,” murmured to yourself. “Storm, do you have the situation handled?”

“No! I very much do not!”

You looked up to see Storm and Warren in the air, struggling against each other.

“Damn it.” You created a path to the top of the pyramid. Without even thinking, you stepped in-between Warren and Storm.

Warren froze with his wing mid-swing. His eyes suddenly softened. “Y/n?”

Storm glanced from you to Warren before flying off to help Peter with Polaris.

A fresh rush of adrenaline pumped through your veins as you faced Warren. “War.” You kept your fists clenched.

Warren’s arms fell to his side. The landscape started to change around you. The dusty yellow sands changed to soft green grass, and the bricks of the pyramid turned to bushes and trees. The sounds of fighting slowly faded away.

You were too focused on Warren to even notice. This was it. The confrontation you both longed for and dreaded. The world slowed and quieted, so much so that you could hear your own heartbeat.

“What happened, War?” you said softly.

Warren looked at his hands, and then his wings behind him. “Apocalypse… and- what are you doing here, y/n? Did- did I hurt you?” he asked slowly.

You shook your head. “No. Not today at least.”

Warren looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” you sighed. “I’m- I-“ you stumbled trying to find the words.

You heard some kind of voice in the distance. “Y/n… not safe… move…”

You paused and looked around. “Wait. We’re at the X-Mansion, but we’re not. This isn’t real.”

“What?” Warren responded.

“This isn’t-“

Suddenly, Psylocke jumped up and pushed her sword through your stomach. You let out a cry of pain as the grass faded back into sand as you fell on to the hard brick of the pyramid. The sound from your comms suddenly became audible again, and you could hear half the team screaming in your ear.

“Y/n, you okay?!”

“Someone back up y/n!”

Psylocke quickly tried to join the Polaris in her fight against Storm and Kurt, but she was stopped by Warren. He quickly knocked her down with his wings. Psylocke jumped up from the ground and took up arms against Warren.

You wrapped your arms around your wound tightly and curled up, flinching at the pressure. You heard Hank in your ear.

“Y/n,” Hank called out. “Kurt got the Professor out. You need to get off the pyramid. _Now_.”

“That’s… gonna be a little hard…” you groaned, rolling to your side.

Out of nowhere, the ground started to shake.

“Guys!” Scott yelled. “We pissed Apocalypse off!!”

You clung onto the edge of the stone steps to prevent yourself from falling down the Pyramid.

A booming voice sounded throughout the desert. “Fools! I am only fighting for our type!”

The bricks of the pyramid started to crumble. You struggled to your feet and scrambled for footing, but the stone was crumbling around you. You desperately formed a platform of ice, but it started to crumble too.

Suddenly, Apocalypse rose from the falling rubble, mere feet away from you. “Do you think humankind will ever accept you? They are inferior, flawed creatures! This Earth needs to be cleansed!”

Admittedly, Apocalypse was more intimidating than his picture. He had a broad, strong build, and had a pale blue skin. He was clad in armor that looked futuristic and ancient at the same time, and stood a whole head and shoulders above everyone else.

 _Everyone else_. Looking around, you realized you were the only one left on the crumbling pyramid. Warren had flown away while grappling with Psylocke, and Storm had done the same but with Polaris. And who knows where Peter sped off to.

“Guys…” you murmured into your earpiece. For the first time, you felt like you might not make it back from a mission.

Apocalypse lifted his hand, and the ground shook again.

_Y/n._

_Yeah?_ you thought. _Wait, what?_

Someone was in your thoughts. It wasn’t Psylocke, because there was no visual change. It wasn’t anyone on the team. Or-

“It’s good to have you back.” It was the Professor _._ Hank must’ve given him his comms _._

“Professor,” you breathed. You were exhausted, and out of hope. “I think I’m out of luck.”

“No y/n. You know what to do.”

I’m tired, Professor-

“I made this mistake once before,” the Professor started. “I won’t make it again. Y/n, you are an omega level mutant. You know what to do.”

You took a deep breath before checking your wound again. “War- is Warren okay?”

“Yes, y/n, Warren’s okay.”

You closed your eyes and tried to picture Warren’s face. His soft, blonde hair falling in gentle waves. His piercing blue eyes that made you feel like everything was okay. His stunning, flowy wings.

“Okay-“ you told yourself. “Okay.”

You pushed yourself to your feet, and Apocalypse noticed you for the first time.

“This is madness,” you said firmly.

Apocalypse paused, seemingly surprised that you confronted him. “On the contrary. It is order.”

You rolled your eyes. You were tired and dizzy from blood loss. “Man just- just fuck off.”

You held both arms out in front of you, blasting Apocalypse with ice. He was forced backwards a few steps before he held up his arms in defense. Suddenly, your arms covered themselves with ice. The ice crawled up your shoulders and crept down your chest until ice was covering your entire body.

“Scott!” you yelled.

“On it!” Scott responded.

Suddenly, a blast of Scott’s energy whizzed past you, mere inches from your side. Apocalypse fell onto his back, and then the pyramid crumbled beneath both you and him, and you were in a free fall to the center of the pyramid. 

-


	3. fever dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> being stabbed kinda sucks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: injury???

“Shh, you’re alright, honey.”

You opened your eyes to see Warren beside you in bed, pushing a strand of hair out of your face. You were in a plush, white bed with overly fluffy pillows. It looked like the room you used to have back at the X-Mansion. Actually, it _was_ the room you had back at the X-Mansion.

You slowly sat up and checked your abdomen for injuries. It was clear of any cuts or bruises.

“Y/n, what’s up?” Warren asked, sitting up beside you.

You looked over at Warren. His face was unscathed and gentle, and his wings were a pure white. “This…” you started slowly. “This is a dream.”

Warren placed a soft kiss on your cheek. “It’s a nice one then.”

You slowly let your expression soften. “Well, I guess so.”

Warren inched closer to you, and kissed you again. You put a hand on his chest before suddenly pulling away.

“War, do I need to wake up? Will something happen if I don’t?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured, kissing your neck up and down.

You closed your eyes and leaned your head back. “This isn’t real,” you reminded yourself quietly. “Why am I even dreaming about this?”

Suddenly, you heard the muffled sounds of an argument on the other side of the wall, and both you and Warren paused.

“Is that… Scott and Jean?” you asked, even though you knew it wasn’t possible. You and Warren used to share a wall with those two.

“Probably,” Warren sighed. “I’ll go check.”

He pulled the covers off of his legs and got up off the bed.

“No, War, wait-“ you protested, grabbing Warren’s wrist. “Don’t go.”

Warren looked back at you. “What’s wrong?”

You pulled your knees to your chest. “I’m scared, War. I don’t know what to do. Tell me what to do.”

Warren gave you a grin. “You already know what to do.” He got up and made his way to the door.

“Wait! Will I see you again?” you called out desperately.

The winged mutant just grinned in response as he twisted the doorknob, and you were pulled from your dream.

-

The first thing that you felt was a slow, aching pain in your stomach that grew to a strong burning sensation. The grainy, yellow sand stuck to your skin as you tried to roll to your uninjured side, but you quickly recoiled in pain.

Then noise, the sounds of fighting and the shouts of the X-Men in your ear. Namely, Scott and Storm arguing over your body. They always butted heads about who should lead the team. They were yelling about some sort of attack plan.

You gingerly opened your eyes, letting them adjust to the glaring sun before carefully bringing a hand to your face to block the light.

“Guys, she’s waking up again.”

Suddenly, all eyes were on you. Storm and Scott both paused mid-sentence and looked down at you. Peter, who was the first one to notice you were up, briefly took off his goggles.

Storm looked down on you sympathetically. “Hang in there, y/n,” she murmured soothingly.

“Kurt,” Scott called out, surveying the landscape. “Get to the south side of the pyramid.”

Shifting your head, you realized that the center of the pyramid was completely caved in. “Wha… how-“

“Kurt got you out,” Storm said.

Looking down at your abdomen, you realized Storm’s tactical jacket was tightly tied around your waist, soaking up blood.

Then; _bamf!_ Kurt appeared by your side, a light layer of dust and sand covering his skin.

“Kurt’s going to move you to the north side of the pyramid, where the Professor and Hank are,” Scott said.

“Unless you think you’re not stable enough to move,” Storm interjected.

Scott looked like he was rolling his eyes under his visor. “Psylocke and Polaris are both-“

“Oh don’t even-“

 _Enough!_ The Professor sent out a loud, telepathic message.

The team went quiet.

“Both Polaris and Psylocke are guarding Apocalypse, who is still inside the pyramid,” the Professor announced. “And then… Storm, you- move.”

You were fading in and out of consciousness, making it hard to listen to the game plan. Black spots were clouding your vision, and everything was starting to spin.

“Hold on, y/n,” Kurt suddenly said. He placed a hand on your arm, and suddenly transported you to the other side of the pyramid.

You cried out in pain and flinched at the sudden movement. You weren’t exactly fond of teleportation, and your injury definitely made the experience worse.

“Sorry!” Kurt called out before quickly teleporting away.

“Fuck!” you groaned, grasping your side. You noticed Hank and Xavier looking down on you, Xavier with a disapproving look. You closed your eyes and swallowed thickly. “Sorry… I meant- ouch.”

Hank kneeled down next to you and peeled Storm’s jacket away from your skin. “Geez.” He turned to the Professor and uttered some inaudible words.

The Professor. It’s been a long time since you had seen him. You hadn’t seen him since you left the X-Mansion, then no one else had seen him for the past few years. He looked pretty much the same, though.

“Professor…” you mumbled, struggling to keep your eyes open.

“Yes, y/n?” he responded, in the same, distinguished and authoritative voice.

You blinked, suddenly getting memories of your high school days. You had a lot to say to him, mainly criticism. You didn’t think it was right for him to leave after Jean. It wasn’t just his failure, it was everyone’s, but he decided he couldn’t handle it. Even when he had students relying on him.

But frankly, you didn’t have the energy to argue. “Where’ve you been?”

The Professor sighed, giving you a half-hearted grin. He knew you were succumbing to blood loss.

You blinked again, your head spinning. A shadow fell over you, and suddenly you saw Warren, his metal wings looming over you. You took in his beaten expression, slightly tinged with worry. “Fuck…” you sighed, barely forming audible words. “Go away. You’re- you’re not even real. This isn’t even real.”

Warren’s eyebrows furrowed. “It’s not?” He looked around as if he was looking for signs of an illusion.

“Oh shit,” you breathed.

Both the Professor and Hank glanced over at Warren in anticipation before giving him a slight nod and going back to going over their plans.

“Are you… okay?” Warren asked quietly.

You laid your head back down on the sand and closed your eyes before nodding. “Yeah,” you said, your voice straining. “Ten out of ten. Never been better.”

Warren slowly kneeled down next to you, and you suddenly felt unreasonably nervous. You shifted uncomfortably. You had so much you wanted to say to him, so much you _needed_ to say to him, but you didn’t know how.

“Warren,” the Professor called, and Warren quickly looked up. “Are you with us?”

Warren nodded. You realized there was a thick layer of fog shrouding the landscape. Obviously the team had already planned something involving Storm making everything fucking hard to see.

The Professor gave Warren some brief instructions, then Warren suddenly took off and disappeared into the fog.

Then the Professor turned to you. “Y/n, I need you to… y/n?”

“Mm?” You were struggling to keep your eyes open. The pain had started to fade away, but you were getting this numbness that was creeping from your fingertips up your arms. And you were cold, which was something you’ve never felt uncomfortable with before.

“Professor,” Hank murmured. “She’s lost a lot of blood. She can’t.”

You weakly held up a hand in protest. “No, no. I can do whatever you need me to. Just tell me what to do.”

The Professor sighed deeply. “Just stay with us, y/n.”

You tried to focus on breathing in and out, but the dizziness and black spots in your vision made it difficult. You felt… so weak. So helpless. There was nothing you could do in more than one respect. You pulled your comms out of your ear, muting the frantic discussions of your teammates. You felt the Professor place a hand on your shoulder.

“Professor… can you… put me somewhere else?” you murmured.

The Professor nodded, keeping a solemn look on his face. Sometimes you forgot he could read your thoughts.

Suddenly, you were laying on the grass in the X-Mansion courtyard, completely pain-free. You breathed in the fresh air. It smelled as if the grass had just been cut. The branches of the trees above you were flowing in the gentle wind.

“So this is it?” you mused, watching the slow moving clouds.

“No,” said the Professor. “It’s not.”

“How do you know?” you asked.

Silence.

“Professor, I need to say some things-“

“Yes,” the Professor interjected. “Many of them unpleasant.”

“No, not to you,” you snapped. “To-”

“To Warren?” the Professor interrupted again. “It doesn’t take a psychic to tell that you’re still in love with him.”

“I’m not in love with him!” you exclaimed.

“Aren’t you?”

“Well- I don’t know! But I’m not going to jump to conclusions when… when…” you were fading away, even in the illusion the Professor had created for you.

“Y/n?”

Your vision was blurring, and you lost sight of the clouds. You felt sand underneath you, even though you could still smell the fresh, grassy air.

Suddenly, _smack_! Something, or someone hit you across the face. Your eyes snapped open and you desperately gasped for air.

“Hank, what the fuck!” you exclaimed, choking back tears.

“Sorry, y/n, but you can’t give up,” Hank said firmly. He was wrapping Storm’s jacket back around your waist. “You have to fight. I know it’s tough, but you’re not dying on us.”

You winced as Hank tightened the wrap. “You didn’t have to fucking hit me!”

You looked up at the pyramid to see Cyclops’s beams cutting through the fog, and Kurt’s blue smoke disappearing and reappearing.

“That’s it,” said Hank. “We’re evacuating you.”

“N-no,” you protested. “Everyone looks kinda busy. And they… they could use you probably. The Blackbird is like- two miles out. I won’t make it without Kurt.”

Hank looked at you pitifully, as if it was the last time he would see you alive.

“Go,” you weakly.

Hank still looked unsure. “Y/n, I-“

“Go!” you insisted.

Hank finally nodded before pulling off his glasses and disappearing into the fog and joining the other X-Men in battle.

You closed your eyes again. “Just tell me Professor. Was he brainwashed?”

The Professor inhaled. “Apocalypse found him, gave him his wings, and Warren agreed to serve him for that.”

“W-why did he-“

“Change sides?” the Professor interrupted. “Fighting the X-Men is one thing, fighting you is another.”

“Whatever,” you whispered weakly. Your vision was almost completely blocked out by black spots. “Just tell Warren… thanks. For not killing us.”

The Professor almost rolled his eyes. “ _That’s_ what you want me to tell him?”

That’s all you wanted Warren to hear. For now at least. “Uh, I,” you murmured, fading out of consciousness. “I…”

Then everything went black.

-


	4. what's real and what's not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> all bleeding must stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: hospitals

“Y/n?”

You shifted in bed. “Mm?” you responded, still half asleep.

“I’m still in love with you too.”

Your eyes suddenly snapped open you turned to face him. “War-“

“We fight. I know we fight sometimes,” Warren started. He was out of bed, pacing back and forth.

“Warren-“ You were trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Last you remembered you were in the X-Mansion courtyard. Or-

“I know a lot has changed,” he continued. “We’re not the same people as we were. But that’s okay.”

You were just trying to take everything in. The room looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Your old sweatshirt hung on the corner of the bed, the one that you’ve had for way too long but wouldn’t throw away. There were framed pictures on the walls, mainly pictures you took with the team on your missions.

“I mean, people change! People can change a lot, both for the better and for worse,” Warren went on.

The sheets on the bed were a strange, light blue, and the room smelled like rubbing alcohol and antibiotics. But your old blanket from your room at the X-Mansion was covering your legs.

“And I know it’s partially my fault, I was pretty selfish, and mean, and a lot of other things,” Warren rambled. “But I’m trying here, I’m trying to figure out everything.”

“Warren!” you interrupted loudly. “Where are we?”

Warren finally paused, and you looked him over. His wings were white and feathery, but he wore a worried expression on his face.

You looked around the room again, and suddenly the familiar pictures on the walls were gone. “This- this isn’t our room.” When you looked back at Warren, and his wings were metal. “Yo what the fuck-“

Warren rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry y/n, I know this is a lot to spring on you. I probably should’ve waited till we were out of Cairo.”

You slowly shook your head. “No, um, I’ve also had some things to- wait, out of where?”

“Cairo? The place with the big pyramids? I probably should’ve waited till we were at least in New York-“

“Am I, like, dead?” you inquired, pulling the blanket off your legs.

“Pft, no, that would mean I’m dead too,” Warren responded.

You suddenly jumped out of bed. “Warren that doesn’t even make any sense! This could all be in my head! I mean I’ve been hallucinating you, like, a lot more than normal, so this could all be fake!”

Warren furrowed his eyebrows. “Then just- wake up?”

-

Your eyes suddenly snapped open, and you gasped for air. You pulled a plastic oxygen mask off of your face and coughed painfully a few times.

“Hey, y/n, you’re alright,” a voice murmured, placing a hand on yours. Storm. She gently took the oxygen mask from your grasp. “How are you feeling?”

You slowly steadied your breathing. “Like- like I got stabbed in the stomach.”

Storm gave you a pitiful grin.

You shifted slightly in bed. “The mission…?”

“Finished. Even if it was kind of messy,” Storm responded.

“How long was I out?” you asked hesitantly.

“About a week. It’s been a while,” she said as gently as possible. She pulled your old blanket up to cover your chest. She was probably the one who brought some of your things from the X-Mansion.

You looked around the small hospital room. The walls were a light blue that matched the sheets. There were electrodes stuck to your skin that were attached to several different monitors. Your abdomen was bandaged up, but still sore.

“Where’s the Professor?” you asked.

“Well, he had to talk to the press, and then the department of defense, and then probably twenty other people, so he’s pretty busy,” Storm replied. “The rest of the team is hanging around here, cleaning things up.”

“I had the weirdest dream,” you sighed, sinking into your pillow. “About-“

“Warren?” Storm interrupted. “Part of that was probably real. He was in here for hours totally talking to himself.”

You blinked. “What? Warren’s here?”

“Oh. Yeah let me back up,” said Storm. “He had a long heart to heart with the Professor and the Professor told us all the be nice to him.”

Suddenly, Peter zoomed into the room. “Hey y/n, you’re awake! How’re you feeling?” he rambled. “You totally missed all the action! Oh and Warren’s cool now, have you seen his wings? They look super hardcore, but like in a cool way.”

Storm elbowed Peter in the ribs. “Shut up!” she hissed. “She literally just woke up.”

“She probably wants to be informed!” Peter argued. “A lot has happened, bro.”

You held up a hand. “Peter, why don’t you speed down to the cafeteria and get me something to eat. And please pay for it this time.”

“Sure!” Peter quickly disappeared with a silver flash.

You sighed deeply. “So Warren,” you started, turning to Storm. “How is he?”

Storm bit her lip. “He’s… okay. He’s pretty nervous, he seems like he thinks we’re all mad at him. I mean Scott kind of is, but that’s just Scott. Point is he’s pretty conflicted. He seems like he’s been through a lot. I guess none of us really know what he’s been through in the past five years.”

You felt a tinge of guilt. You really… hadn’t reached out to him at all since you left.

“But it still seems like he cares about you,” she continued. “Like a lot.”

Peter reappeared, munching on an apple. “Yo you want me to get birdboy?”

“Peter you dumbass,” said Storm, facepalming. “You were supposed to get food for y/n.”

“Oh ya.” Peter sped off again, and he was out of sight in less than a second.

“Storm,” you started, still glancing around the corner for Peter. “Tell me what to do.”

“Well, you’re still in love with him, right?”

You blinked. “Did the Professor really say that to you? I swear to god-“

Storm laughed. “No one had to tell me, bro. You wouldn’t be so worried about him if you didn’t care about him so much.”

You brought a hand to your forehead. “Pft.”

“Also I already bet Scott twenty bucks that you two are gonna get back together,” continued Storm. “So don’t blow this for me.”

“I’m back!” Peter announced, coming back into your room. “And I found Warren!” Peter dragged Warren, who had about half a dozen chip bags in his arms, into your cramped hospital room by the wrist.

You swallowed dryly. Suddenly, you weren’t tired or in pain anymore, just nervous.

“Hey, we’ll leave,” said Storm, touching your arm. “Don’t blow this for me,” she murmured under her breath. She proceeded to drag Peter out of the room.

Warren awkwardly set down the chip bags on your bedside table. “Uh- Peter bought you some chips.”

You slowly and uncomfortably propped yourself up. “Thanks.” You looked over Warren’s new wings. This was the first time you had seen them up close. They looked sharp and jagged, forming a threatening appearance. They contrasted his nervous stature.

“So-“

“So, your wings,” you said softly.

Warren rubbed the back of his neck. “I know, I know.”

“How do they feel?” you asked.

“They- they’re okay,” said Warren, taking a seat next to your bed. “I know you don’t like them.”

You shook your head. “No, no, if they work then I’m happy you have them.” You studied his downcast face, which was now covered in worry and scars. “War, what happened? After I left?”

“I- uh, I went to New York, or New York City with my dad for a little. Spent some time with some old friends. And then I traveled some, met Apocalypse,” he murmured, keeping his eyes on his feet. “What about you-?”

“California,” you sighed. “Alex got me a job at this little start up, and uh- I have this apartment in San Francisco, I guess it’s okay.”

A brief moment of silence passed between you and Warren.

“Y/n, I’m-“

“Are you going to apologize? Because if you are, please don’t. If anything, I should be sorry. I mean, I am sorry- I shouldn’t have left. I _really_ shouldn’t have left. I’ve been thinking about it and it wasn’t fair of me to just leave,” you spilled. “So… please don’t apologize.” 

Warren’s eyes widened. “Did you just apologize?” he said slowly. “To me?” 

You leaned back against your pillows. “I should just- loan Storm twenty bucks.” 

“What?” 

“I- I don’t know,” you murmured. “Yes, I’m sorry, don’t make a big deal about it or whatev- fuck-” You doubled over and clutched your abdomen, which started to burn. 

“Hey, you’re okay,” Warren soothed, placing a hand on your arm. 

“Fuck me,” you groaned, laying back down in bed. “I hate being stabbed.” 

“Me too,” Warren said with a pitiful grin. “Sorry, that’s probably partially my fault.” 

“No, no it’s fine,” you sighed, studying his face again. “War, you still love me?”

Warren was taken aback. “I- uh-” he stuttered. “Y-yeah, I guess so. How’d you…?”

“Heard it in a super surreal dream, but that’s not the point,” you replied. “Point is… I think I might be in love with you too.” 

Warren raised his eyebrows. 

“Well Storm and I talked and she’s like 90% of my moral compass so admitting my feelings is probably a good idea even though historically I-” 

“Y/n!” Warren interrupted. “I love you too, alright? I was gonna wait till we got to New York to tell you, but yeah.”

You looked up at him. “So are you gonna-”

“Yeah, I will,” murmured Warren, slipping into bed next to you. He maneuvered his wings to fit in bed next to you. He gently kissed your forehead. “I missed you.” 

“Mm,” you sighed with a smile. “Say more.” 

-


End file.
